Partnerships

Bird Heavy Civil takes pride in the successful partnerships and joint ventures that we have formed over the years to address the challenges facing the mining, energy and construction industries.

We fully appreciate the synergistic benefits that can accrue from a well-developed partnership where all parties bring unique capabilities and proficiencies to the table. Always open to new ventures, Bird Heavy Civil management sees partnerships as an important driving force behind future opportunities and welcomes the opportunity to discuss new projects with potential and existing partners.

In February 2010, H.J. O’Connell Construction Ltd. and Newfound Construction Ltd. formed a joint venture in order to submit a proposal to Vale Inco for the construction of the Ro-Ro Facility. In March 2010, Vale Inco announced that H.J. O’Connell and Newfound Construction, Joint Venture had been awarded this project. This project entails the construction of a temporary dock facility for the purpose of shipping and receiving equipment, freight and other large items that will be used in the construction of the permanent Processing Plant facilities.

O-N-E, General Partnership

In April 2008, H.J. O’Connell joined forces with EBC Inc. (based out of L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec) and Neilson Inc. (based out of Saint-Nicolas, Quebec) to form O-N-E (O’Connell – Neilson – EBC) general partnership. With HJOC contributing as the managing partner, this Partnership was established to pursue business opportunities on the Wuskwatim Generating Station Project in Northern Manitoba. The Partnership subsequently bid on and won the General Civil Works Contract for the Wuskwatim project. This $241 million contract includes the construction of all of the 200MW generating station’s concrete structures (including the Spillway, Intake and Powerhouse) as well as the Main Dam. The owner of this project is the Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership, consisting of Manitoba Hydro and the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN.) The generating station is scheduled for commissioning in March 2012.

SNC-Lavalin - H.J. O'Connell, Joint Venture

In 2002, SNC-Lavalin of Montreal, Quebec and H.J. O'Connell formed a joint venture and were awarded a $21 million contract to design and construct a 30-megawatt hydroelectric powerhouse on the Exploits River at Grand Falls, NL. The owner of this project, the Exploits River Hydro Partnership, consisted of Abitibi Consolidated and Fortis Inc. Ahead of schedule and on budget, this project was completed in September 2003.

Borealis Construction Limited

Borealis Construction Limited was a partnership comprising of H.J. O'Connell Construction Ltd., Labrador Construction, and the Labrador Inuit; Borealis Construction was formed to pursue construction opportunities at Voisey's Bay, Labrador.

IKC - Borealis - Joint Venture

In 2002, Borealis Construction Limited formed a joint venture with the Innu Kiewit Contractors (IKC), a partnership between Peter Kiewit and Sons (PKS) and the Labrador Innu Nation: the second largest group of aboriginal people in Labrador. The IKC-Borealis - Joint Venture brought together the two largest aboriginal groups and the two largest construction companies in Labrador, with Peter Kiewit and Sons, one of the world's largest construction companies. This Joint Venture completed all civil infrastructure related work in preparation for the mining operations at the Voisey’s Bay site.

Mushuau Innu Construction Inc.

In 1997, H.J. O'Connell Construction Ltd. formed a partnership with the Mushuau Innu of Davis Inlet, Labrador, to pursue opportunities in the construction of the new community of Natuashish (Sango Bay) Labrador. The partnership successfully constructed an access road, an airstrip and a terminal building and installed the main water supply line to the new community.

Additional Information

For more information on these projects, please refer to the case studies under the Clients and Projects Section.